


The Sight

by Elyse110



Series: Power of Three: What Really Happened [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: All 5 cats live in different Clans, Crowfeather is THE BEST, F/M, Hollyleaf Jayfeather and Lionblaze are not siblings, Hollyleaf is a medicine cat, Ivypool (Omen of the Stars) lives in SkyClan now!, Jayfeather is a warrior, Leafpool makes the worst decisions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-07-13 03:37:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 13,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16009481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elyse110/pseuds/Elyse110
Summary: As cats from the Dark Forest begin plotting a dangerous move against the Clan cats, StarClan gifts five kits with the ability to save them all.Hollykit, who is destined to become the next medicine cat of ShadowClan.Lionkit, a RiverClan kit who wants nothing more then to serve his Clan.Ivykit, who is about to learn that there is more beyond the SkyClan gorge.Jaykit, who wants to prove to ThunderClan that he can be a warrior, despite his blindness.And Heatherkit, who just wants someone in WindClan to love her, despite her mysterious origins.A rewrite of the Power of Three seriesThis is a rough draft, and I will be going back to edit once I finish it.  If you have suggestions, please comment them!  I already have the plot planned out, so I cannot take all plot focused suggestions.





	1. Allegiances

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that not all cats listed in the Allegiances are actually from this book series. We chose to recycle some from different arcs in the Warriors series to make sure that each Clan had the same amount of warriors. We also gave StarClan and the Dark Forest their own organization.  
> Also, we will try to post new chapters every Sunday, so keep your eyes out!

**ThunderClan**  
**Leader:** Firestar  
**Deputy:** Brambleclaw (apprentice: Berrypaw)  
**Medicine Cat:** Leafpool  
**Warriors:**  
Ashfur  
Dustpelt (apprentice: Hazelpaw)  
Sandstorm (apprentice: Honeypaw)  
Cloudtail (apprentice: Cinderpaw)  
Thornclaw (apprentice: Poppypaw)  
Brightheart  
Brackenfur  
Spiderleg (apprentice: Mousepaw)  
Stormfur  
Whitewing  
Birchfall  
Sorreltail  
**Apprentices:**  
Hazelpaw  
Honeypaw  
Berrypaw  
Cinderpaw  
Poppypaw  
Mousepaw  
**Queens:**  
Squirrelflight (mother of Jaykit)  
Ferncloud (mother of Icekit and Foxkit)  
**Elders:**  
Mousefur  
Longtail

 **RiverClan**  
**Leader:** Leopardstar  
**Deputy:** Mistyfoot (apprentice: Dapplepaw)  
**Medicine Cat:** Mothwing (apprentice: Willowpaw)  
**Warriors:**  
Reedwhisker (apprentice: Pouncepaw)  
Blackclaw  
Voletooth (apprentice: Minnowpaw)  
Mosspelt (apprentice: Pebblepaw)  
Beechfur  
Rippletail  
Graymist  
Mintfur  
Icewing  
Mallownose  
**Apprentices:**  
Willowpaw  
Dapplepaw  
Pouncepaw  
Minnowpaw  
Pebblepaw  
**Queens:**  
Dawnflower (mother of Lionkit)  
**Elders:**  
Heavystep  
Swallowtail  
Stonestream

 

 **WindClan**  
**Leader:** Onestar  
**Deputy:**  Ashfoot  
**Medicine Cat:** Barkface (apprentice: Kestrelpaw)  
**Warriors:**  
Tornear (apprentice: Harepaw)  
Runningbrook  
Crowfeather  
Owlwhisker  
Nightcloud  
Weaselfur (apprentice: Breezepaw)  
Gorsetail  
Leaftail  
Emberfoot  
Furzepelt  
**Apprentices:**  
Kestrelpaw  
Breezepaw  
Harepaw  
**Queens:**  
Whitetail (mother of Heatherkit)  
**Elders:**  
Morningflower  
Webtail

 **ShadowClan**  
**Leader:** Blackstar  
**Deputy:** Russetfur  
**Medicine Cat:** Littlecloud  
**Warriors:**  
Rowanclaw (apprentice: Ivypaw)  
Oakfur  
Smokefoot (apprentice: Owlpaw)  
Snowbird  
Applefur  
Ratscar  
Rowanberry  
Wetfoot  
Deerfoot  
Jaggedtooth  
**Apprentices:**  
Ivypaw  
Owlpaw  
**Queens:**  
Tawnypelt (mother of Hollykit)  
**Elders:**  
Cedarheart  
Tallpoppy

 **SkyClan**  
**Leader:** Leafstar  
**Deputy:** Sharpclaw  
**Medicine Cat:** Echosong (apprentice: Frecklepaw)  
**Warriors:**  
Patchfoot (apprentice: Snookpaw)  
Ebonyclaw  
Petalnose (apprentice: Sagepaw)  
Sparrowpelt  
Cherrytail  
Waspwhisker (apprentice: Mintpaw)  
Shrewtooth  
Rockshade  
Bouncefire  
Tinycloud  
**Apprentices:**  
Snookpaw  
Frecklepaw  
Sagepaw  
Mintpaw  
**Queens:**  
Fallowfern (mother of Rabbitkit, Creekkit, Nettlekit, and Plumkit)  
Clovertail (mother of Ivykit)  
**Elders:**  
Lichenfur  
Tangle

 **StarClan:**  
**Leader:** Feathertail  
**Deputy:** Bluestar  
**Medicine Cats:** Brambleberry, Yellowfang, Cinderpelt, Spottedleaf  
**Warriors:**  
Tallstar  
Crookedstar  
Stonefur  
Redtail  
Whitestorm  
Lionheart  
Silverstream  
Goldenflower  
Willowbreeze  
Swiftpaw  
**Queens:**  
Snowfur (mother of Mosskit, Bluestar’s kit)  
Brightsky (mother of 3 unnamed kits)

 **Dark Forest:**  
**Leader:** Brokenstar  
**Deputy:** Tigerstar  
**Medicine Cat:** None  
**Warriors:**  
Hawkfrost  
Mudfur  
Mapleshade  
Clawface  
Scourge  
Bone

Leader of All: Snowstar


	2. Prolouge

~Snowstar~

Snowstar padded through the trees of StarClan towards the Dark Forest’s border.  Her black and white fur stiffened as hushed whispers floated out of the Dark Forest, and she slunk into the cover provided by the foliage around her.  If the Dark Forest cats saw her, she knew that they would try to kill her immediately, even if she was the supreme leader of all. She supposed that she could smite them, but it just didn’t seem worth it today.  In Snowstar’s opinion, it was better to smite the living. Then you really taught them a lesson. Snowstar crept as close to the border as she could, and then tucked herself underneath a bush. She strained her ears so she could hear the Dark Forest cats.  She didn’t have to wait long.

“You’ve spoken to Dusk?” Brokenstar mewed.

“Of course,” Tigerstar replied.  “It wasn’t hard to sway him to see our side of things.”

“Excellent.  And you’ve selected the five cats?”

Snowstar pricked up her ears.  Five cats?

“Not yet.”

“What have you been doing this whole time?” Brokenstar raged.  “I gave you this assignment a moon ago!”

“It is difficult to find the correct number of cats who are all the same age and have the...qualities...you asked for,” Tigerstar hedged.

“You’ve had a moon!”

“I apologize, Brokenstar.  It will not happen again.”

“It had better not.  I will give you an additional quarter moon.  If you haven’t accomplished this by then, I will personally go to Snowstar and have her smite you.  Got it?”

Snowstar couldn’t hear Tigerstar’s response as the two cats padded away.  However, she had heard enough to alarm her. She climbed out of her bush and ran back into StarClan territory.

“StarClan, assemble!” she yowled when she reached the StarClan equivalent of Fourtrees.  Cats began to appear around her. Feathertail, StarClan’s leader--under Snowstar, of course--nodded respectfully to Snowstar and leapt onto the Great Rock.  Snowstar joined her and the two she-cats sat side by side as the StarClan cats seated themselves. Once everyone had arrived, Snowstar stood up and addressed the crowd.  

“StarClan cats, I fear that the Dark Forest cats have learned of our plan.”  Immediately, the crowd began to murmur among themselves.

“Silence!  Let Snowstar finish!” Feathertail called, quieting the cats.

“The time to act is now, before the Dark Forest can.  We must choose the five kits tonight, one from each Clan.”

“If you have a suggestion, please speak now!” Feathertail mewed.  Spottedleaf was the first to stand.

“Feathertail, Snowstar, this cat is not from my Clan, but I believe that she would be the perfect choice for the SkyClan representative,” she purred.

“Very well.  Who do you suggest?” Feathertail asked.

“Ivykit.  Her mother is Clovertail.”

“I have a suggestion too, for ShadowClan!” Yellowfang yowled.  “Hollykit, daughter of Tawnypelt would be a powerful choice.”

Snowstar nodded.  “Both of these kits sound like excellent choices.  We still need three more, however.”

“If I may, Snowstar,” Feathertail said, “Lionkit, Dawnflower’s kit from RiverClan would be a good choice.”

“Heatherkit from WindClan is my suggestion.  Her mother is Whitetail, a strong warrior who will raise an even stronger cat,” Tallstar added.  

Snowstar purred.  “We are just missing a ThunderClan representative.”  The clearing was silent. Eventually, Whitestorm stood up.  “There are no good choices from ThunderClan,” he stated. “However, we must choose someone, and I know that there is one kit who has a chance.”

“And who might that be?” Feathertail mewed.

“Jaykit, Squirrelflight’s kit.”

“Isn’t he blind?” Snowstar asked.

“Yes, but he would work well with the other four kits.”

“Very well,” Snowstar said.  “StarClan cats, hear and approve my choice.  I now call upon my powers as Leader of All to grant the five kits: Ivykit, Hollykit, Lionkit, Heatherkit, and Jaykit with the power of the stars.  May they save us all.” She bowed her head, and the StarClan cats followed soon.

“These kits are our only hope,” Snowstar mewed.  She looked down at the Clans sleeping peacefully and easily picked out the five chosen kits.  “Sleep peacefully, little ones. The fate of the Clans rest in your paws.”

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

~Hollykit~

“What’s this herb for, Littlecloud?” Hollykit mewed as she watched the medicine cat sort through his stores.  Littlecloud chuckled as he watched Hollykit try to pick up a bundle of herbs and carry them back to their place.

“That is catmint, and we medicine cats use it to treat greencough,” he said.  Hollykit spat the catmint out.

“It tastes funny!” she yelped.

“I know it does, but it makes sick cats feel better!”

“Well, I hope that I’m never sick,” Hollykit said.  “I wouldn’t be able to stand having to eat THAT!”

“I hope you don’t get sick either,” Littlecloud said.  

“Hollykit?  Are you in here?” Tawnypelt mewed as she stepped into the medicine den.

“Hi mommy!” Hollykit squeaked, running over to the queen.  “Look! I’m helping Littlecloud!”

“Well, isn’t that sweet,” Tawnypelt purred.  “But I’m sure Littlecloud needs some privacy to finish up.  Why don’t you come back to the nursery with me, Hollykit?”

“But I want to stay here!” Hollykit protested.

“I know, and you can come back after you eat,” Tawnypelt promised.

“Fine!” Hollykit snapped.  She followed Tawnypelt out of the medicine den.  Littlecloud watched her go, and smiling to himself, went back to sorting the herbs.  

“Hi Hollykit!” Owlpaw meowed as he passed by with his mentor, Smokefoot.  “How’s it going?”

“Hi Owlpaw!!” Hollykit squeaked excitedly.  Owlpaw was one of the only cats in ShadowClan who took time to actually talk to her--other than Tawnypelt and Littlecloud, of course.  “When can I be an apprentice like you?”

Owlpaw laughed.  “Soon, Hollykit. Are you excited to be a warrior?”

“I don’t want to be a warrior!  I want to be a medicine cat like Littlecloud!” Hollykit mewed.

“Really?  That’s so cool!” Owlpaw said.  Smokefoot gently tapped the apprentice’s ear with his tail, and Owlpaw jumped.  “Sorry, I have to go on a hunting patrol with Smokefoot. I’ll see you later, Hollykit!”

“Bye Owlpaw!”  Hollykit beamed as she trotted after Tawnypelt.

“So, you want to be a medicine cat?” Tawnypelt asked as she led Hollykit back to the nursery.

“More than anything!”

“Are you sure?  If you change your mind, it can be very difficult to change mentors and start training as a warrior,” Tawnypelt cautioned her.

“I won’t change my mind.  I like watching Littlecloud, and I want to help my Clanmates,” Hollykit said.  

“Just make sure you think about it,” Tawnypelt mewed finally.  “Now come on. It’s time for your nap.”

“But I’m not tired!”

“You will be later.  Now come on and curl up next to me,” Tawnypelt invited, gesturing to their nest with her tail.  Hollykit groaned but followed her mother. Once she was settled in the nest, Hollykit looked up at Tawnypelt.

“What kinds of things do medicine cats do?” she mewed.  Tawnypelt purred.

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” she asked.  Hollykit shook her head.

“Well, they take care of their Clanmates when they get hurt or sick, they collect herbs, and they get to share tongues with StarClan.”

Hollykit’s eyes grew wide.  “I get to talk to StarClan!” she mewed excitedly.

“Yep!”  

“Do you think that they’ll come and talk to me while I sleep?” she asked.

“Maybe.  Who knows?  StarClan can visit you at any time,” Tawnypelt told her.

“Do you think that I might get to meet Snowstar?  She sounds so cool!” Hollykit meowed.

“Maybe.  You know, you might see her sooner if you take your nap.”

“Okay!” Hollykit agreed, closing her eyes.

* * *

“Hollykit.  Open your eyes, love,” a cat meowed into Hollykit’s ear.  Hollykit slowly opened her eyes and, instead of Tawnypelt, she saw a black and white cat sitting in front of her.  The cat was the biggest cat she had ever seen, and she had starlight in her fur.

“Are you from StarClan?” Hollykit squeaked.

“Yes.  I am Snowstar, leader of all,” the cat meowed.  

Hollykit’s eyeballs got huge.  “I’ve always wanted to meet you!  You’re so cool!” she cried.

“I have always wanted to meet you too, Hollykit,” Snowstar mewed.  

“Hello, Hollykit,” another cat said as she slunk out from the trees surrounding Snowstar.

“Are you StarClan too?” Hollykit asked.

“Yes.  I am Yellowfang, and I used to be the ShadowClan medicine cat.”

“Hi Yellowfang!  I want to be a medicine cat too!” Hollykit told her.  “Can I be one please?”

Yellowfang and Snowstar chuckled.  “Of course. We have chosen you to be a medicine cat, Hollykit, so we are delighted that you want to be one so badly,” Snowstar said.

Hollykit squealed with excitement.

“Hollykit, we have something very important to tell you,” Yellowfang mewed seriously.  Hollykit looked up into the old medicine cat’s eyes.

“The Dark Forest is planning something very bad, and we need your help to stop them,” Snowstar told her.

“You want MY help?” Hollykit asked.

“Yes.  We have chosen you along with four other kits to stop the Dark Forest before they can hurt the Clans.”

Hollykit cocked her head.  “Which kits? I’m the only kit in ShadowClan.”

“They all come from different Clans.  You will meet them soon. For now, Hollykit, go to sleep.”

“How will I know when I find them?” Hollykit asked.

“We will show you.  Go to sleep,” Yellowfang purred.  Hollykit sighed, but closed her eyes and drifted back into the ShadowClan nursery.


	4. Chapter 4

~Lionkit~

“Look Dawnflower, I brought you a fish!” Lionkit mewed around the fresh-kill he was carrying.

“Aw, how sweet,” Dawnflower purred.  Lionkit dropped his fish in front of his mother and sat down happily.

“What did I do to deserve you?” Dawnflower asked as she took a bite of the fish.

“Nothin’.  I just like helping cats!” Lionkit said.  

“Do you want to be a medicine cat?” Dawnflower wondered.

“What do they do?” Lionkit asked.

“They help their Clanmates and make them feel better when they’re sick.”

“Do they get to hunt and protect the Clan?” Lionkit mewed.

“Not exactly…”

“Well, then I’ll be a warrior,” Lionkit said.  “I don’t want to sit around in a stuffy den all day when I can be helping my Clan in other ways.”

“I think that you’ll be a fantastic warrior,” Dawnflower said.  “Here, come help me finish this fish. It’s too much for me to eat all by myself.”

Lionkit jumped up and took a bite of the fish.   _My first fresh-kill_!  He licked his lips as the taste spread through his mouth.  “It’s so good!” he mewed around a biteful of fish.

“I know,” Dawnflower purred.  Lionkit felt a yawn coming as he ate the last morsels of fish.  Dawnflower beckoned him with her tail, and he curled up beside her.

* * *

_A large, golden tom strides through the forest of an unfamiliar territory.  He is alone, and only the chatter of squirrels and the chirping of birds can be heard.  One other cat awaits him, and as he steps into the clearing, she stares him down. Before she can say anything, the tom speaks.  “I say these words in front of StarClan and Snowstar. I will take the powers StarClan has granted us.”_

“Lionkit!”  Lionkit opened his eyes and turned around to see another kit staring at him.  She had thick black fur and large, vibrant green eyes.

“Who are you?  Do you walk with StarClan?” Lionkit asked her.

“What?  No! I am Hollykit, from ShadowClan!” the kit mewed.

“Why are you in my dream, then?” Lionkit said.

“It’s my dream, silly, and it’s because StarClan sent me.”

“But you’re not dead,” Lionkit said.

“I don’t have to be dead to find you in our dreams.  Medicine cats do that all time.”

“But neither of us are medicine cats.”

Hollykit puffed out her chest.  “I’m going to be one.”

“Well, good for you, but I’m not,” Lionkit argued.

“Stop arguing,” a large black and white cat snapped as she stepped beside Hollykit.  

“Who are you?” Lionkit asked.

“I am Snowstar, leader of all, and I have sent Hollykit to you.”

“Told you so!” Hollykit sang.

“Be quiet!” Snowstar ordered.  Hollykit shrank, and her tail went between her legs.  “I have not gathered you two together to fight. StarClan has chosen you to save us all from the Dark Forest.”

Lionkit gaped at her.  “Really?”

“Yes.  However, you are not the only two kits.”

“Who else is there?” Lionkit mewed.

“There is one kit from each Clan.  You and Hollykit must work together to find the kits from WindClan and ThunderClan.  Feathertail, Spottedleaf, and I will take care of the kit from SkyClan.”

“What’s SkyClan?” Hollykit asked.  Lionkit watched Snowstar for her answer.  He was wondering the same thing.

“Trust me, you will learn soon enough,” Snowstar mysteriously responded.  “Now, our time in this world is fading to an end.”

Hollykit looked at Lionkit.  “Meet me here tomorrow night.”

“But I don’t know how to,” Lionkit protested.

“Don’t worry.  We’ll help you,” Snowstar promised as Lionkit and Hollykit began to fade back into RiverClan and ShadowClan.


	5. Chapter 5

~Ivykit~

“Echosong!  Where are you?” Ivykit called as she raced into the SkyClan medicine cat’s den.  Echosong stepped out from behind a stack of herbs and walked over to Ivykit.

“What’s wrong, honey?” she asked.

“Creekkit fell in the river!  Fallowfern and Clovertail fished him out, but they sent me to get you!”

“Okay, take me to him,” Echosong commanded Ivykit.  Ivykit marched out of Echosong’s den and charged down the cliff with Echosong following closely behind.  On their way down, they ran into Frecklepaw.

“What’s going on?” she mewed.

“Creekkit fell in the river,” Echosong replied as she followed Ivykit.  “Can you go to the elder’s den and take care of Lichenfur’s ticks while we’re gone?”

Frecklepaw wrinkled her nose, but walked away.  Finally, Ivykit and Echosong arrived at the river.  Clovertail and Fallowfern were sitting beside it with Creekkit lying on the ground in between them.  Creekkit’s siblings, Plumkit, Rabbitkit, and Nettlekit were nowhere in sight. “Mama! I brought Echosong!” Ivykit called to Clovertail.  The she-cat turned around when she heard her kit’s voice.

“Thank you so much, Ivykit!” she replied.  “I need you to go up to the nursery now with the other kits, though.”

Ivykit pouted.  “But I want to watch!”

“Listen to Clovertail, Ivykit.  We’ll let you come down here and see Creekkit when Echosong is done,” Fallowfern said.  She couldn’t hide the tremble in her voice.

Ivykit tilted her head.  “Creekkit’s not okay, is he?” she asked.

“I don’t know why you’d think that,” Fallowfern replied hesitantly.

“Creekkit is dead,” Ivykit flatly said.  She ignored her mother’s gasp at her proclamation and instead focused on Fallowfern.  The she-cat stared at Ivykit for a moment, and then looked down at her kit.

“Yes.  She’s right,” Fallowfern admitted.  Clovertail stepped over to Fallowfern and let the grieving she-cat put her nose in her fur.  

“Ivykit, come here,” Echosong whispered into Ivykit’s ear.  Ivykit looked at Clovertail, and then followed the medicine cat into the nursery.  Plumkit, Rabbitkit, and Nettlekit were playing moss ball in the corner with Tangle and Lichenfur watching them.  Frecklepaw was pulling a tick out of Lichenfur’s fur, and she looked confusedly at Echosong and Ivykit. “How did you know about Creekkit?” Echosong asked Ivykit quietly.

“I don’t know.  I just saw that he was gone, and there was no way to bring him back,” Ivykit replied.

“What do you mean?” Echosong mewed.

“I saw that no matter what you did, Creekkit would be gone from us,” Ivykit said.

“She is right,” a tiny voice said.  Echosong and Ivykit turned and saw Creekkit standing at the entrance of the nursery.  With him was a pretty dappled she-cat.

“Who are you?” Ivykit asked.  Beside her, Echosong’s eyes grew wide with recognition.

“Spottedleaf?  Is that you?” she asked.

The she-cat dipped her head.  “Yes.”

“I’ve never seen you before,” Ivykit said.  

“I used to live in ThunderClan, but now am a resident of StarClan,” Spottedleaf explained.  Ivykit stared at her.

“You’re from StarClan?  Wow!” Ivykit cried.

“I am.”

“What are you doing here?” Echosong asked curiously.

“I came here to tell you that Ivykit has been chosen by StarClan.”  Echosong looked at Ivykit.

“What do you mean?” Ivykit mewed.

“StarClan has chosen you, Ivykit, along with four other kits to stop the Dark Forest one and for all,” Spottedleaf explained.

“Wow!” Ivykit cried.  Then Spottedleaf turned to look at Echosong.

“I also come bearing important news for SkyClan,” she said.

Echosong tilted her head.  “What?”

“The time has come for SkyClan to join the four other Clans at the lake,” Spottedleaf said.

“What Clans?” Ivykit asked.  Spottedleaf gently shushed her.

“You will learn.  For now, Ivykit, don’t worry.  You will meet the other four kits soon.”

“Okay!” Ivykit chirped.

“Echosong, can I talk to you privately?” Spottedleaf continued.

“Of course.  Here, follow me up to the medicine den,” Echosong invited.  The two she-cats left, and Ivykit turned her attention back to Frecklepaw, Lichenfur, Tangle, and her denmates.  Frecklepaw finished pulling the ticks, and she walked over to Ivykit.

“That was amazing!” she whispered to her.  “I’ve never seen StarClan before!”

“I know!” Ivykit mewed.  “Could anyone else see her?”

Frecklepaw shook her head.  “Only medicine cats and some leaders can see StarClan cats unless they appear to certain cats.  Spottedleaf really did choose you Ivykit, and I can promise you that that means that you have an amazing destiny.”  Ivykit puffed out her chest.

“I’m going to be a great warrior!” Ivykit mewed.

“Yes, you are,” Frecklepaw purred.  “Now go to sleep!”


	6. Chapter 6

~Jaykit~

When Jaykit woke up, he walked into the side of the den.  “Ow!” he squealed as he fell over. His mother, Squirrelflight, sat up and turned to see her kit.

“Jaykit, are you okay?” she gasped.  

“Uh-huh,” he replied.

“I told you not to get out of the nest without someone to help you!” Squirrelflight fretted.  

“Mama, I don’t need you to watch me all the time.  I’m going to be a warrior!” Jaykit snapped.

“It doesn’t have to be me. It could be Ferncloud or one of the other kits!” Squirrelflight pressed.

“I don’t want to be with the other kits!  I can explore on my own,” Jaykit growled.

“Jaykit, honey, you’re blind.  If there’s something dangerous, like an adder or a hawk, it could kill you so fast you wouldn’t even know what hit you.”

“If I’m a warrior, I can defeat them!” Jaykit argued.

“Jaykit, I don’t think you can be a warrior,” Squirrelflight whispered.

Jaykit’s fur bristled.  “Yes, I can! I’ll prove it!”  He charged out of the den, only bumping into the sticks at the entrance once.

“What’s he doing?” Foxkit whispered behind him.  Jaykit paused once his paws hit the grass. His nose quivered as he took in the scent of other cats--more then he’d ever scented before at one time.

“Is that Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw’s kit?”

“What is he doing out here?”

“Isn’t he blind?”

Jaykit ignored them and stepped forward.  He tilted his head towards the ground and used his whiskers to feel the terrain beneath him.  He slowly made his way forward, one pawstep at a time.

“Ow!  Get your claws off me!” someone yowled.  Jaykit lifted his tiny paw off of the cat’s tail.  The cat turned, and saw Jaykit. “Oh, you’re the blind kit.  That’s okay then.”

“Who are you?” Jaykit mewed.

“Mousepaw, Spiderleg’s apprentice.”

“I’m Jaykit, and I want to become a warrior apprentice, just like you!”

Jaykit heard Mousepaw suck in a breath.  “Jaykit, I’m not sure that’s possible.”

“It is too!” Jaykit growled.  “I’ll prove it! Take me to Firestar!”

“I’m right here,” a voice purred from above Jaykit.  Mousepaw turned around and stared at Firestar.

“Hi,” he gulped.

“Mousepaw, go to the sandy hollow with Spiderleg.  We’ll talk about your behavior towards Jaykit later.”

Mousepaw stalked away, tail twitching in the air, while Firestar turned his attention to Jaykit.

“How are you doing, Jaykit?”

“Okay, I guess,” Jaykit said.  “I’d be doing better if I could start training as a warrior.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Firestar mewed.  “Becoming a warrior is a lot of work,  but it’s also a lot of fun.”

“I can train as a warrior right?” Jaykit seriously asked.

“Of course.  Even though you’re blind, I will help you,” Firestar promised.

Jaykit purred with delight.

“Here, let me walk you back to the nursery.  You must be getting tired,” Firestar offered.

“I’m not tired!” Jaykit protested, but he couldn’t hide his yawn.  Firestar laid his tail over Jaykit’s back and walked him to the nursery.

“Firestar!  He didn’t get into any trouble, did he?” Squirrelflight asked as her father led Jaykit into the nursery.

“Of course not,” Firestar mewed.  “He just wanted to explore.” Jaykit stumbled over to his mother and curled up beside her.

“My sweet kit,” Squirrelflight purred, and Jaykit felt his mother start licking him behind the ears.  He closed his eyes, and let out a sigh of relief to be next to his mother.

* * *

“Jaykit!  Get up!” Jaykit opened his eyes, and realized with a start that he could see.  A large white cat was sitting on the ground in front of him.

“I can see!” Jaykit squeaked.  The white cat nodded.

“Yes.”

“Who are you?” Jaykit asked.

“I am Whitestorm, and I lived in ThunderClan back when Firestar was just an apprentice.”

Jaykit gaped at him.  “Wow!”

“Jaykit, I have come to tell you that you have an amazing destiny.  StarClan has chosen you along with four other cats to save the Clans from the Dark Forest.”

“I have to share?” Jaykit grumbled.

“Yes.  One kit from each Clan will join you to save the Clans.”

“That’s even worse!” Jaykit cried.

Whitestorm appeared to be struggling to remain patient.  “I know you don’t like this, Jaykit, but you must believe me.  It is the only way. You will meet the kits from ShadowClan and RiverClan soon, so please try to be nice to them.”

Jaykit rolled his eyes.  “Fine.”

“Go back to Squirrelflight now.  I will see you later, Jaykit,” Whitestorm mewed as Jaykit began to fade back into the ThunderClan nursery.


	7. Chapter 7

~Heatherkit~

“Heatherkit!  Get down from there right now, young lady!” Whitetail screeched across the WindClan camp.  

“But mama, I like it up here!” Heatherkit protested from where she was perched in the branches of a large oak tree.

“WindClan cats don’t climb!  You could fall and get hurt!”

“Well, maybe WindClan cats should climb,” Heatherkit said.  “And I don’t want to get down.”

Whitetail glared at Heatherkit.  “Well, then you’re going to stay up and not have any fresh-kill tonight.”

Heatherkit opened her mouth to protest, but Whitetail had already stalked back into the nursery.  Heatherkit’s tail drooped, and she lay down on her branch. _I just wanted to make her proud of me._  Heatherkit had been found on the edge of WindClan territory by Crowfeather and Onestar when she was still a newborn, and they had given her to Whitetail as she was the only nursing queen.  Whitetail had never been very fond of Heatherkit. Once her kits, Kestrelpaw and Harepaw had moved out of the nursery, Whitetail had grown nasty towards Heatherkit, especially since there were no other queens.  Heatherkit buried her head in her paws and started to cry.

“Heatherkit!  Are you up there?”

Heatherkit peeked from her branch to see Crowfeather standing at the base of the tree.  “Go away!” she wailed. Suddenly, a scraping noise startled Heatherkit, and she looked to see Crowfeather climbing up the tree.  He climbed onto Heatherkit’s branch, and sat down beside her.

“What’s wrong, Heatherkit?” he asked.  

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Heatherkit whispered glumly.  Crowfeather wrapped his tail around Heatherkit’s back. Heatherkit tensed up, but after a moment relaxed into him.  “It’s just that no matter what I do, I can’t get Whitetail to love me. I try to do amazing things like Kestrelpaw and Harepaw did, like climbing this tree, but she just hates me even more when I do that.  And there are no other kits to play with, and all Whitetail wants to do is gossip with Nightcloud about Breezepaw, Kestrelpaw, and Harepaw. It’s like I don’t exist,” Heatherkit admitted.

Crowfeather pulled Heatherkit closer to him.  “Even if Whitetail doesn’t love you, I think you’re amazing.”  Heatherkit looked up at him.

“Really?”

Crowfeather nodded.  “Yes. In fact, I think you are one of my favorite cats in WindClan.”

“You like me more than Breezepaw?” Heatherkit squeaked.  Breezepaw was Crowfeather’s son.

“I’m not allowed to answer that question,” Crowfeather purred.  “I’m not allowed to have favorites in that sense.”

“Oh, okay,” Heatherkit mewed.

“Tell you what, Heatherkit.  If you ever need someone to talk to or play with, I will always be more than happy to volunteer.”

Heatherkit beamed up at him.  “Really?”

“Of course.  Now let’s get you out of this tree.”

* * *

After sharing a rabbit with Crowfeather and Breezepaw, Heatherkit headed back to the nursery, where she knew Whitetail would be waiting for her.  “Hello!” she called as she stepped inside the nursery. There was no reply. Heatherkit sniffed around the den, but couldn’t find Whitetail anywhere.  She stepped out of the nursery and looked around the camp. WindClan cats were settling in for the night all around her. She still didn’t see Whitetail, though.  “Whitetail!” she called. At the sound of her voice, Morningflower walked over to her. The elder had lived in WindClan since their old home in the forest, and Heatherkit thought her stories were amazing.  

“Haven’t you heard?”

“Heard what?” Heatherkit asked.

“Whitetail is moving back into the warrior’s den.  She said that you were old enough to take care of yourself now.”

Heatherkit gaped at Morningflower.  “But I’m not even 4 moons old yet!”

“Whitetail claimed that if you don’t need her milk, you don’t need her.”

“Does that mean I have to live by myself?” Heatherkit asked.  Her voice started trembling, and she tried to blink away tears.

“Of course not, honey,” Morningflower purred, placing her tail across Heatherkit’s shoulders.  “Harepaw and Breezepaw felt sorry for you, and so they said that you could move into the apprentice’s den with them.”

Heatherkit immediately perked up.  “Really? I get to live with the apprentices!”

“Yep!  And we have a nest all ready for you!” Harepaw mewed, walking over to Heatherkit.  “I can’t let my little sister sleep all by herself.”  
“But I’m not Whitetail’s daughter,” Heatherkit pointed out.

“We were still raised together, and so even if we’re not related by blood, you will always be my sister.”

Heatherkit purred in delight.  “Then you and Kestrelpaw will always be my brothers!”  She rubbed up against Harepaw happily.

“Come on and see your new nest!” Harepaw said, and he led Heatherkit away.  Morningflower smiled as she watched the two young cats leave, and she went back to the elder’s den.

* * *

“Heatherkit, open your eyes,” a soft voice purred in Heatherkit’s ear.  Heatherkit opened her eyes and looked up to see a silver cat looking at her.  What Heatherkit noticed first, however, was the starlight twinkling in her fur.  “Are you from StarClan?” she whispered.

The silver cat nodded.  “Yes. I am Feathertail from RiverClan.  I was Crowfeather’s first love, back when he was an apprentice.”

Heatherkit stared at her.  “Wow!”

“Heatherkit, I have to come to tell you that the Dark Forest is planning a big attack on the Clans, and we need your help to stop them.”

“But what can I do against a bunch of evil dead cats?” Heatherkit asked.

“You will not be alone.  There are four other kits whom we have chosen.  The five of you together will hold the power of the stars in your paws.”

“Who are they?” asked Heatherkit.

“Me!” a fluffy black kit squeaked as she stepped out from behind Feathertail.  “I am Hollykit of ShadowClan!”

“Me too,” a golden tabby kit said.  He stood beside Hollykit. “I am Lionkit of RiverClan.”

“And, I guess me,” a gray striped kit muttered.  ‘I’m Jaykit, from ThunderClan.”

“Who is the fifth kit?” Heatherkit wondered.

“She is from SkyClan, and is not able to meet you four yet.  Don’t worry, just leave it up to me and Snowstar.”

“We’re going to meet Snowstar?” Heatherkit gasped.

Feathertail nodded.  “Yes. But for now, Heatherkit, go back to WindClan.  The time is coming faster than you five kits can know.”

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

~Hollykit~

Hollykit bounced up out of her nest with excitement.  “Hi Snowstar!” she purred as she ran towards the leader.

“Hello, Hollykit.  How are you?” Snowstar mewed.

“I am so excited to start training!  What are you going to teach us? Do I get to kill Dark Forest cats?” Hollykit gushed.

“I thought you wanted to be a medicine cat,” Snowstar said.

“I do!  Don’t medicine cats fight too?”

“Sometimes.  Hopefully, you won’t have to kill any Dark Forest cats yourself.  The other four kits can help with that.”

Hollykit slumped.  “But then what can I do to help?”

“We will show you when the time is right,” Snowstar reassured her.

“Hi guys!” Lionkit said as he appeared beside Snowstar.  “What are we doing tonight?”

“I’ll tell you when Jaykit and Heatherkit arrive,” Snowstar meowed.

“Why don’t you tell us anything?” Hollykit pouted.

Snowstar opened her mouth to reply, but Heatherkit appeared before she could.

“Hi,” the she-cat shyly said.  

“Hey!” Hollykit mewed.

“Hi,” Lionkit said.  “How’s WindClan?”

Heatherkit winced.  “Okay, I guess.”

“Well, it can’t be as bad as ThunderClan,” Jaykit complained as he appeared as well.  “In a way, you’re lucky, Heatherkit. You don’t have Squirrelflight bossing you around all the time.”  Heatherkit didn’t respond, but Hollykit saw a flash of sadness cross her face.

“Are you kits ready for the adventure tonight?” Snowstar asked.

“Oh, yes!” Hollykit cried, jumping up.  “Where are we going?”

“Spottedleaf is going to take us to meet Ivykit.”

“Is she the SkyClan kit?” Heatherkit asked.

“Yep.  From what Spottedleaf has told me, I think she’s very excited to meet you.  She has never met cats from another Clan before.”

“Let’s go!” Lionkit said.

“Alright then.  Make sure you four follow me very closely.  I don’t want you to get lost in StarClan territory.  And remember, whatever happens to you here happens to you in your Clans too.”

“Is she trying to scare us away?” Lionkit whispered to Hollykit.  

Unfortunately, Snowstar overheard him.  “I am not trying to scare you away,” she snapped.  “SkyClan walks different skies then your Clans do, and it is very far away.”

“Sorry,” Lionkit mewed.  Snowstar dipped her head, and then led the kits through a cluster of trees.  The territory looked unfamiliar to Hollykit, but Jaykit appeared to be completely at ease.

“It smells like ThunderClan!” he said.

“Yes.  This is the StarClan version of ThunderClan territory.  There is one of every Clan.”

“Wow!” Hollykit said.   _So this is what ThunderClan looks like_.  “Will we be able to see the ShadowClan territory?”  

“No, I’m sorry,” Snowstar mewed.  “We will be going through WindClan, though.”

Heatherkit perked up.  “Can I show them around?” she begged.

“Probably not,” Snowstar said.  “We have limited time.” Heatherkit’s shoulders slumped, but she followed the leader and other kits.  It didn’t take long for the trees of ThunderClan to give way to the rolling moors of WindClan. The open territory cheered Heatherkit up.  Hollykit, however, thought it was gross.

“How can you stand to live here?” Hollykit asked.  “It’s so...vulnerable!”

“How can YOU stand to be closed in by trees all the time?” Heatherkit challenged her.  Hollykit closed her mouth and followed Snowstar. Once they reached the edge of WindClan, Snowstar turned to address the kits.

“This is the most dangerous part of our journey.  If you don’t do this right, you could end up in the Dark Forest, and that is a very dangerous place.”  Lionkit blanched and pressed up closer to the other kits. “What you must do is close your eyes and jump foward.  Think only of SkyClan, and you will end up in the right place.”

Hollykit closed her eyes.   _SkyClan, SkyClan, SkyClan_ she thought as she leaped foward.  Her paws landed in sand, and she opened her eyes to see a sandy gorge.  Moments later, Lionkit, Jaykit, Heatherkit, and Snowstar appeared beside her.

“Welcome to the SkyClan camp,” the leader mewed.  “Are you ready to meet Ivykit?”

“Yeah!” Hollykit cheered.  She followed Snowstar up to a small den.  Two queens were sleeping inside, each with kits.  Snowstar walked up to a queen with a single kit, and gently nudged her awake.  The gray and white kit opened her eyes and jumped to her feet when she saw Snowstar.

“Hi!” she mewed.

“Hello, Ivykit.  We have come here so you can meet the four other kits you will be working with.”  Ivykit purred, and trotted over to the other kits. “Hi! I’m Ivykit!” she said.

“I’m Hollykit,” Hollykit replied.  “This is Lionkit, Jaykit, and Heatherkit.”

“I’m so excited to meet you!” Ivykit cried.  Suddenly, a clap of thunder echoed around the gorge.  Snowstar turned, and froze. Two dark cats were running across the gorge to meet them.

“Who’s that!” Hollykit shrieked.

“Dark Forest cats.  Now that you five are all together, they must be able to sense your powers.  You have to wake up!”

“How?” Hollykit asked.

“Picture yourselves back in your dens.  Now go! You don’t have much time,” Snowstar said frantically.

Hollykit imagined herself beside Tawnypelt, and opened her eyes.  She was back in the ShadowClan nursery!

But were Lionkit, Heatherkit, Jaykit, and Ivykit okay?


	9. Chapter 9

~Snowstar~

“Jaykit, you have to get out of here!” Snowstar mewed frantically.  Ivykit and Lionkit had already escaped, and Heatherkit was fading as she spoke.  Jaykit looked up at Snowstar.

“I don’t know how!” he cried.

“Imagine yourself at home,” Snowstar said.

“I can’t!  I don’t know what home looks like!” Jaykit moaned.  Snowstar winced, and looked into Jaykit’s clear, seeing eyes.

“I know it’s difficult.  But your home in the Clan is more than just what it looks like.  There are scents, sounds, and other cats there too. Try imagining one of those.”

Jaykit shook his head.  “No. I want to do it like the other kits did.”

“How do you know that they imagined what their homes looked like?  They could have just thought about the scents and sounds.” However, Jaykit remained firm.  Snowstar sighed. She knew what she had to do to save Jaykit, but that didn’t make it any easier.  “Go home,” she whispered, touching her nose to his gray fur. Jaykit stared at Snowstar as he faded away from StarClan, and Snowstar collapsed to the ground.  Using her powers always took a physical toll on her.

“Well, well, well, the mighty Snowstar weakened?” Brokenstar purred as he strode up beside her.  “What did you waste your power on this time?”

“I have never wasted my gifts, and I don’t expect to ever waste them,” Snowstar replied evenly.  She slowly pushed herself to her feet, wobbling a bit as she did so.

“Look what the cat drug in,” Tigerstar mewed as he walked over to the two cats.  “That was a funny one, wasn’t it? You know, because she’s a cat?”

“We’re all cats, idiot,” Brokenstar sneered.  “And no, it’s not funny at all.”

Snowstar uneasily watched the two cats bicker.  She began to back away as quietly as she could, but she accidentally stepped on a leaf.  It crumpled under her weight, drawing Tigerstar and Brokenstar’s attention back to her.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Brokenstar hissed.  

“Home,” Snowstar said.  She lifted her tail high, to show that she wasn’t afraid.  “Where are you going?”

“Nowhere.  At least, nowhere until we get what we want from you.”

Snowstar tensed up.  “You will get nothing from me.  I would tell you to stop wasting your time trying.”

Tigerstar laughed.  “Look, she’s trying to scare us away!  That won’t work, will it Brokenstar?”

“Shut up!” Brokenstar snapped.  “Honestly, I don’t know why I let you join me.  Have you even found the five kits yet?”

Tigerstar blushed and stared at his paws.

“I didn’t think so.”

Snowstar had begun to back away again while the toms argued, but this time, Brokenstar was keeping an eye on her.

“We’ve been over this, Snowstar.  I need the information from you before you can leave.”  
“And what exactly do you want?” Snowstar snapped.

“The names of the kits.”

“What kits?”

Brokenstar huffed impatiently.  “The kits who were all gathered here before you sent them all back to their regular Clans.”

“I still don’t know what you’re talking about,” Snowstar said.

Brokenstar lunged at her, pinning her to the ground.  “Trust me, Snowstar, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  I suggest you speak up before I unsheathe my claws.”

Snowstar gulped.  “What do I gain if I tell you?” she asked.

“You won’t die,” Brokenstar hissed.

“What if I told you that I can’t die?” Snowstar pressed.  

“What are you talking about?  Every cat can die,” Brokenstar mewed.

“Not if you’re the supreme leader of all.  Now I suggest that you get off of me before I smite you,” Snowstar ordered.

“You can’t do that,” Brokenstar said, his voice trembling.

“Do you want to find out if I can?” Snowstar said.  “Get off!”

Brokenstar obeyed, and Snowstar shook out her pelt as she stood up beside him.  “Now, I suggest that you run along back to the Dark Forest.”

“But….”

“Do you want to be smote?” Snowstar hissed.  Brokenstar turned and ran back towards the Dark Forest.  Snowstar watched him go, still tense. _He knows about the kits.  They’re not safe meeting in StarClan anymore..._


	10. Chapter 10

~Jaykit~

“Good morning, Jaykit,” Foxkit mewed, stretching.  Jaykit tiredly looked over at his denmate. A half moon had passed since his adventure in StarClan, and he had heard nothing from Snowstar or the other kits ever since.  Foxkit took a closer look at Jaykit and cocked his head. “Are you okay? You look really tired,” he said.

“I’m fine!” Jaykit shot back, a little harsher then he had meant to.  Foxkit stepped back, surprised.

“OK…” he said, going back to the nest he shared with Ferncloud and Icekit.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Squirrelflight purred as she got up too.  “How are you?”

Jaykit shrugged at his mother.  “Fine.”

“I have good news,” Squirrelflight said eagerly.  

“OK.”

“Your apprentice ceremony is today!”

“Really?” Jaykit cried, jumping to his feet.  “Can I train as a warrior?”

Squirrelflight hesitated, and Jaykit felt his heart sink.  “I talked to Firestar and Leafpool, and Leafpool has agreed to take you on as her apprentice if you’d like.”

Jaykit felt a burst of frustration.  “But I don’t want to be a stupid medicine cat!  I want to be a warrior, like you and Brambleclaw.”

“Jaykit, I know you’re tired of hearing this, but I don’t think it’s possible for you to be a warrior.”

“I WILL be a warrior.  Firestar is making me an apprentice, right?  He can make me a warrior apprentice. I’m sure that I can do it.”

Squirrelflight exhaled, and then stood up.  “Fine. I’ll go talk to Firestar right now.”

* * *

“Jaykit, come forward,” Firestar mewed.  Jaykit carefully stood up and used his whiskers to feel along the ground towards the Highrock.  Once Jaykit had reached the bottom of the Highrock, he took a seat. He didn't think he was quite ready to try and climb it yet.  Firestar seemed to support his decision as he jumped to the ground beside Jaykit. “Jaykit, it is time for you to become a ThunderClan apprentice.  May StarClan hear and approve. Jaykit, you will now be known as Jaypaw, until you receive your warrior name.” Jaypaw puffed out his chest with pride.  “Brightheart, please come forward.” Jaypaw stood up as the she-cat stepped towards Firestar. “Brightheart, you will mentor Jaypaw. Pass your knowledge onto him, so he can learn to become a brave warrior of ThunderClan.”  Jaypaw touched noses with Brightheart.

“I will do whatever it takes to make you a warrior,” she whispered in his ear.  Jaypaw tensed. _She thinks I’m not able to become a warrior on my own!_

“Thanks, but I know I can become a warrior.  I don’t need extra help!” Jaypaw crowed. He froze suddenly, realizing how loudly he had mewed.  He could feel Brightheart tensing beside him. Firestar cleared his throat from behind the two cats in an attempt to break the silence.  

“With that, let’s all welcome the newest apprentice of ThunderClan!”  

“Jaypaw!  Jaypaw!” Jaypaw stood even taller as his Clan cheered him on.  

“Jaypaw, would you like to start training?” Brightheart asked him.

Jaypaw jumped to his feet.  “I would love to!” he cried.

“Wait, before you go,” Firestar said.  Brightheart turned back towards him, and he walked over to Jaypaw.  “There is a Gathering tonight. Since you are an apprentice now, Jaypaw, would you like to go?”

“Yes!” Jaypaw cried.  Brightheart looked at Firestar.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” she whispered.  “He might get lost with that many cats there.”

“I figured that you were going to go, and Squirrelflight will too.  Together, I think that the two of you will be able to keep an eye on him.”

Jaypaw bristled a bit at that, but managed to keep his mouth shut.

“Are you ready to go, Jaypaw?” Brightheart asked once Firestar had padded away.  Jaypaw nodded.

“What are we going to do?” he asked.

“I’m going to take you on a tour of the territory,” Brightheart said.  “I know it sounds a little bit boring, but trust me, it makes everything a lot easier when you know your way around.”

“That sounds awesome!” Jaypaw cried.   _I’ve always wanted to leave the camp!_  

“Great!  Let’s go,” Brightheart said, laying her tail across Jaypaw’s shoulders.  She guided him towards the briar entrance to the camp. “Now, be careful going through here.  The brambles can be sharp.”

Jaypaw carefully navigated through it, and emerged into a huge open space.  It smelled earthy and fresh-completely different then the ThunderClan territory.  He could smell mice, and rabbits, and even the musky scent of other cats--but very faintly.

“What do you think?” Brightheart asked.

“It’s amazing!” Jaypaw gushed.  Brightheart kept her tail on Jaypaw’s back and began to lead him around the territory.  At first, Jaypaw wanted to argue against Brightheart helping him, but he quickly realized how easy it would be for him to get lost.  They walked along the WindClan territory line first. Jaypaw noticed that Heatherkit’s scent was very similar, if not the same as the scents surrounding the camp.  They them walked by the lake’s shoreline. “What happens if you fall in?” Jaypaw asked Brightheart.

“You try to swim to ground.  What I do when I swim is taste the air and then swim in the direction of the ThunderClan scent since I can only use one eye to find my way there.”

“What do the other warriors do?” Jaypaw asked.  He was not going to settle for what a blind cat should do.

“They look for shore and, once they have their bearings, head towards it.”

Jaypaw nodded and let Brightheart lead him towards the ShadowClan border.  He felt the warrior stiffen beside him suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” he mewed.

“There are ShadowClan cats at the border,” she whispered.  Jaypaw opened his mouth to taste the air, and a familiar scent hit him.   _Hollykit?_

Brightheart cautiously began walking closer to the border.  Jaypaw followed, sighing with relief when she relaxed.

“It’s the medicine cat,” she said.  “We should go greet him.”

“Why?” Jaypaw asked.

“It’s the polite thing to do,” Brightheart answered.  Jaypaw still wasn’t sure why they were doing this, but he accepted it.  Brightheart led him over to the border. “Hello, Littlecloud!” The medicine cat looked up at the ThunderClan cats.

“Hello, Brightheart.  How are you today?”

“I’m good, thanks.  Who’s this you have with you?”  Jaypaw pricked up his ears. Hollykit’s scent was overpowering now.

“This is my new apprentice, Hollypaw.”

“Congratulations!  This is my new apprentice, Jaypaw.”  Jaypaw heard Hollypaw sneak up beside him while their mentors talked.

“Are you going to the Gathering tonight?” Hollypaw whispered.

“Yes,” Jaypaw replied.

“Good.  I have something really important I need to tell you guys.”

“Hollypaw, come back over the border!  We can’t go onto ThunderClan’s territory!” Littlecloud yowled.

Hollypaw winced.  “I’ve gotta go. See you later, Jaypaw!” she said as she pranced back over the border.

“It’s time for us to go, too,” Brightheart said.  She started leading Jaypaw away from the ShadowClan cats.

“Brightheart?”

“Yes, Jaypaw?”

“Do you get to talk to other cats at the Gathering?”

Brightheart laughed.  “Do you want to see Hollypaw again?”  Jaypaw didn’t answer. “Well, yes, you do.  So don’t worry, you do get to talk to Hollypaw.”  

“It’s not because I want to talk to Hollypaw!” Jaypaw protested.

Brightheart rolled her eye.  “Okay, if you say so!”


	11. Chapter 11

~Ivypaw~

Ivypaw sleepily padded out of the apprentice’s den and walked over to the warrior’s den where she assumed that her mentor, Cherrytail, would be just waking up.  The rocky ledges that the SkyClan camp was perched on felt sharp and gritty underneath her still soft paws. Cherrytail had promised that as Ivypaw grew up, her pads would get harder to handle the rough environment.  Ivypaw hoped she was right. “Ivypaw!” a she-cat called from behind her. It sounded like Echosong. Ivypaw turned around and saw the medicine cat running towards her. 

“Is everything okay?” Ivypaw mewed.

“Yes, but you need to come up to the Skyrock with me right away,” Echosong replied breathlessly.  Ivypaw followed Echosong up the cliffs until they emerged on the long, flat Skyrock. The two she-cats sat down side by side and looked up at the sunrise.  Suddenly, a flash blinded Ivypaw and two cats padded down out of the sky towards her. She recognized one as Spottedleaf, but she had no idea who the second cat was.  

“Greetings, Echosong,” Spottedleaf purred.  “You have brought Ivypaw, as we requested?” Echosong nodded.

“Yes.  She is ready to hear what you have to say.”

“Hello, Ivypaw,” the second cat said.  She had pretty silver fur. “My name is Feathertail, and I am the leader of StarClan.”

“What about Snowstar?” Ivypaw asked, confused.

“She is the leader of everything.  I only lead StarClan.”

“What do you need?” Echosong asked, changing the topic.

“Spottedleaf and I have come to tell you that the time has come for SkyClan to rejoin the other four Clans.”

Ivypaw gaped at the StarClan cats.  “Really?”

“Yes.  You must take your Clan to the lake where ThunderClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, and WindClan have all made their homes.  A great darkness is coming upon the land, Echosong, and SkyClan must unite with the other Clans in order to defeat it. Ivypaw must be united with the four other apprentices.”

“How we will know where this lake is?” Echosong mewed.  “It sounds far away.”

“We will tell you everything you need to know,” Spottedleaf reassured her.  “For now, you must go tell Leafstar.”

“Will she listen to us?” Ivypaw fretted.

“Yes.  Every leader knows the importance of their medicine cats’ dreams.  She will understand. For now, go.” 

Ivypaw and Echosong turned to leave, but Feathertail called Ivypaw back.  “Come back here at the half moon and share tongues with StarClan,” she said.  “Snowstar hasn’t been able to communicate with you and the other apprentices because of the Dark Forest cats.  The night of the half moon is sacred, however, and she has important things she needs to tell you.”

Ivypaw nodded seriously.  “I’ll be there,” she promised.  She then turned and followed Echosong towards Leafstar’s den.

~Lionpaw~

“Wow, Lionpaw!  That’s a huge one,” Mintfur complimented as Lionpaw tugged a fish out of the stream.  Lionpaw shook the water out of his fur and laid it down beside a pair of minnows that Mintfur had already caught.  He had to admit that his catch was a lot bigger than Mintfur’s. 

Mintfur looked at the sun, and then turned back to Lionpaw.  “I hate to say this, but I think we need to head back to camp.  The Gathering will start soon.”

“Okay,” Lionpaw said.  He picked up his catch and started dragging it back to camp.  Mintfur followed him. The two cats climbed up the grassy slope that led into the RiverClan camp.  A lot of cats stared at Lionpaw’s fish as he walked into camp. 

“Did he catch that all by himself?” he heard Dawnflower ask Mintfur.  Lionpaw couldn’t hear Mintfur’s response as he ducked into the elder’s den.  Heavystep and Stonestream looked up from where they were sharing tongues.

“What’s up, Lionpaw?” Heavystep asked cheerfully.

“I brought you a fish!” Lionpaw purred as he dropped the fresh-kill in front of them.

“You caught that all by yourself?” Stonestream asked.  “On your first hunt?” Lionpaw nodded. Stonestream shared an impressed look with Heavystep.  

“And you want to give it to us?” Swallowtail mewed as she stepped into the den.  

“Yes,” Lionpaw said.  

“Why, thank you so much!” Stonestream purred.  Swallowtail came over to the other two elders and dipped her head to Lionpaw as the three started eating.  Lionpaw purred and left the den. Mintfur was waiting for him outside.

“That was kind of you to give your catch to the elders,” she purred.

“They need to eat more then I do,” Lionpaw said.  

“I heard you gave your first catch to the elders,” Leopardstar mewed, walking over to Mintfur and Lionpaw.

“He did,” Mintfur mewed.  “I’m very proud of him,” she added.

“I am too,” Leopardstar agreed.  “Tell you what, Lionpaw. Would you like to go to the Gathering tonight?”

“Really?  I would love to!” Lionpaw gasped.  The other RiverClan apprentices had not been able to attend a Gathering until they had all been apprentices for at least three moons.  He had been one for five sunrises. It was a great honor that Leopardstar wanted him to attend.

“Well, get ready to go then.  We are leaving in a few minutes.”

“Go get some fresh-kill before you leave.  You’ve earned it,” Mintfur invited. Lionpaw trotted over to the pile and picked up Mintfur’s minnows.  He eagerly gobbled them down as Leopardstar assembled the Gathering patrol. Lionpaw joined the procession as they left the camp, noticing that Pouncepaw and Dapplepaw were watching him jealously.

~Heatherpaw~

The first thing that Heatherpaw noticed was all of the other cats.  WindClan was the third Clan to arrive, and the island was filling up quickly.  “Should I go talk to the other cats?” she asked Crowfeather, who was walking next to her.

“Go ahead,” Crowfeather suggested.  “The other new apprentices are usually happy to talk to anyone they can.”  Heatherpaw nodded and walked over to a clump of apprentices. She opened her mouth to say something when someone jabbed her with their paw.  She turned to see a familiar black cat staring at her.

“Hollypaw?” she asked.  The black cat grinned.

“Hi Heatherpaw!  I’m so glad to see you!”

“Has Snowstar spoken to you at all since we visited Ivykit?” Heatherpaw asked. Hollypaw nodded.

“Yes, at the Moonpool when I went there to be accepted as a medicine cat apprentice.  I have something I need to tell all of you. Have you seen Jaypaw or Lionpaw?” Heatherpaw scanned the cats around her, narrowing in on a golden tom.  

“I think Lionpaw’s over there.  I’ll go get him,” Heatherpaw said.

“Alright.  I’ll go look around for Jaypaw.  Come back here once you grab him,” Hollypaw chirped.  Heatherpaw nodded and ran over to where Lionpaw was uneasily looking around at all the other Clan cats.  

“Hey, Lionpaw!” Heatherpaw mewed.  Lionpaw jumped at the sound of her voice, but purred when he saw her.

“Hi!  How are you?” he asked.

“I’m good,” Heatherpaw mewed.  How had she never noticed how pretty his amber eyes were in the moonlight…

“Are Hollypaw and Jaypaw here?” Lionpaw was asking.  

“Oh, yes,” Heatherpaw said.  “We’re meeting up over there.”  She pointed with her tail. 

“Let’s go see them, then,” Lionpaw said.  Heatherpaw led him over to where Hollypaw and Jaypaw were already waiting. 

“Hey, Lionpaw,” Hollypaw said.

“So what’s this meeting about?” Jaypaw asked.  “I’ve been in suspense all day, Hollypaw.”


	12. Chapter 12

~Hollypaw~

“It’s a bit of a long story, but we have time.  It all started when I went to the Moonpool with Littlecloud to be formally accepted as a medicine cat by StarClan…”

* * *

_“Hollypaw, are you ready to go?” LIttlecloud asked.  Hollypaw jumped up from the back of the medicine den and trotted over to Littlecloud._

_“Definitely!” she purred.  Littlecloud nodded and led Hollypaw out of the ShadowClan camp.  The two cats trotted into the territory._

_“We will have to pass through ThunderClan territory to get there, but hopefully we will run into Leafpool.  The ShadowClan camp was very close to the border, and it wasn’t long before the two cats had crossed into ThunderClan territory.  Hollypaw’s fur was prickling as they slunk through the territory. She knew that they were not breaking any rules, but it didn’t make her feel any more comfortable._

_“How much of ThunderClan territory will we have to cross?” she mewed._

_“All of it.  The Moonpool is on the other side of their territory, beside WindClan.”  Hollypaw sighed, but kept following Littlecloud. As luck would have it, the two cats ran into Leafpool just past the ThunderClan camp._

_“How are you, Littlecloud?” Leafpool asked._

_“I’m doing well, thank you.  This is my new apprentice, Hollypaw.”  Leafpool flinched back, like she had been stung.  A second later, she relaxed, and nodded to Hollypaw._

_“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she purred sweetly._

That was weird _, Hollypaw thought.  She continued following the medicine cats through the ThunderClan forest until they emerged at the WindClan border line.  “Do we have to go on WindClan territory too?” Hollypaw complained. Littlecloud chuckled._

_“No.  The Moonpool is located right above the beginning of WindClan territory,” Leafpool replied.  She led Littlecloud and Hollypaw out of ThunderClan territory and into the neutral ground._

_“Hello, Littlecloud!  Leafpool!” Barkface, the WindClan medicine cat, called as he stepped towards them.  A smaller cat followed him closely._

_“Greetings, Barkface and Kestrelpaw!” Littlecloud said.  Kestrelpaw bounded up to Hollypaw._

_“Thank goodness.  Another apprentice!  I mean, I love Willowpaw, but I need someone else to talk to as well.  I’m Kestrelpaw. What’s your name?”_

_“I’m Hollypaw, Littlecloud’s apprentice,” Hollypaw mewed.  “Do you know Heatherpaw?” she added, out of curiosity. Kestrelpaw gave her a strange look._

_“Yes.  She’s my adoptive sister.”_

Adoptive?   _“What does that mean?” Hollypaw asked._

_“Crowfeather found her as a kit on the WindClan border and brought her back to the camp.  My mother, Whitetail, was the only nursing queen at the time, so she took her in. She just became an apprentice a few sunrises ago.”_

“What does my heritage have to do with anything?” Heatherpaw interrupted Hollypaw’s story.

Hollypaw blushed.  “Sorry. I’m just trying to tell the whole thing as it was.”

“Can you skip ahead to the important part?  The actual Moonpool?” Jaypaw asked.

“Do you want me to tell the story or not?” Hollypaw snapped.  Jaypaw and Heatherpaw fell silent.

_“That’s cool,” Hollypaw mewed.  “And very kind of Whitetail.”_

_“I wouldn’t go that far.  Whitetail is not the biggest fan of Heatherpaw.  She kicked her out of the nursery before she was four moons old.”_

_Hollypaw gaped at him.  Could any queen be capable of such hatred?_

_“Hi Kestrelpaw!” another apprentice mewed as she walked over to Hollypaw and Kestrelpaw._

_“Hey Willowpaw.  This is Hollypaw.  She’s Littlecloud’s new apprentice.”_

_“Hi!  I’m so glad that there’s another girl.  Sometimes it gets boring having only Kestrelpaw to talk to.  I’m Willowpaw, Mothwing’s apprentice,” Willowpaw purred._

_“Why doesn’t Leafpool have an apprentice?” Hollypaw asked.  “You’re from RiverClan, I’m ShadowClan, and Kestrelpaw is WindClan.  So why isn’t there a ThunderClan apprentice?”_

_Willowpaw shrugged.  “The right cat hasn’t shown up yet.”  Hollypaw nodded._

_“Do you three want to go to the Moonpool or stand there talking all night?” Littlecloud called.  Hollypaw, Kestrelpaw, and Willowpaw quickly ran over to the medicine cats, and together, they climbed down to the Moonpool.  Littlecloud sat down, and Hollypaw trotted over to him. “Are you ready, Hollypaw?” he asked. Hollypaw nodded vigorously, and Littlecloud smiled.  “Hollypaw, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?”_

_“It is,” Hollypaw answered._

_“Then come forward.   Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this apprentice.  She has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in accordance with your will.”  Hollypaw purred, and LIttlecloud gestured to the water behind him. “Come and drink from the Moonpool. StarClan will speak with you then.” Hollypaw stepped towards the Moonpool and lapped up a sip of water.  It was frigid. However, she didn’t linger on that for long as she dissolved into sleep._

_“Congratulations, Hollypaw,” Snowstar purred.  Hollypaw jumped up. “Snowstar! You’re here! I was afraid that Brokenstar got you!” Hollypaw yelped happily._

_“I am safe,” Snowstar reassured her.  “We are both safe here, actually. The Moonpool is sacred land.  Cats from the Dark Forest cannot enter StarClan here. I have something very important to tell you.”_

_“What is it Snowstar?”_

_“There will be a Gathering in another half moon.  Lionpaw, Heatherpaw, and Jaypaw will all be there.  You must bring them to the Moonpool the night after.  I must speak with all four of you. I have a quest for you, and I need to see all of you before I can send you on it.”_ _  
_ _“Okay,” Hollypaw agreed.  “Snowstar?”_ _  
_ _“Yes?”_   
“This is kind of personal, but who are Heatherpaw’s parents?”  

_“That is not my place to tell you.  But I will tell you that you are connected to her and Jaypaw in a way that you would never expect.”_


	13. Chapter 13

~Lionpaw~

“So, we’re going to sneak out of camp to go visit the Moonpool?” Lionpaw gasped.  Hollypaw nodded.

“What if someone sees us?” Heatherpaw whispered.  Her mew was laced with fear, and Lionpaw felt a twinge of sympathy for her.  It sounded like she didn’t have the best relationship with her Clan, and he could understand why she wouldn’t want to get in trouble with them.

“We can tell the truth--that Snowstar sent for us,” Hollypaw suggested.

Lionpaw found himself nodding.  “That sounds good to me,” he agreed.  

“Well, okay,” Heatherpaw said.

“What about Jaypaw?  He won’t be able to see where he’s going!” Lionpaw remembered.

“ShadowClan is right next to ThunderClan, so I can go over to his camp and take him to the Moonpool from there.  I know how to get there,” Hollypaw mewed.

“No.  I have a better idea,” Jaypaw cut in, smirking.  “What if we leave right now?” The other three cats froze.  Lionpaw stared at Jaypaw, shocked that he would suggest such a thing.  But, to his surprise, Heatherpaw nodded.

“I like that idea,” she mewed.  “If we do that, then we don’t have to worry about getting lost or anything.  We can just all go together, and maybe hunt or something until moonhigh. We can come back together as well, and that sounds a lot safer then wandering around our territories at nighttime by ourselves.”

“Okay,” Hollypaw gave in.  “I mean, that is the logical solution.”

“Let’s go, then,” Jaypaw said, standing up.

“Wait!  What if we let someone from our Clans know first--just to be safe.  We can’t get in trouble if they are aware. Honestly, so many cats have gotten in trouble for stupid things that could have been avoided if they had just let their Clans know first,” Lionpaw said.

“Okay,” Heatherpaw sighed.  “Meet back here once you’re done.”  Lionpaw dipped his head to her, and then waded into the sea of cats.  The scents of all four Clans intermingled with each other made him dizzy, and he bumped into a she-cat.  She turned around in surprise, her gaze softening when she saw Lionpaw. To Lionpaw’s relief, he instantly recognized her.

“Mistyfoot?” he asked.

“Hello, Lionpaw.  Are you enjoying the Gathering?” she mewed.  Lionpaw nodded vigorously. “It’s almost time for the leaders to start talking,” she continued.  Suddenly, Mistyfoot appeared to notice Lionpaw’s lack of a mentor. “Where is Mintfur?”

“I have something I need to tell you,” Lionpaw mewed quickly, before he could stop himself.  

Mistyfoot narrowed her eyes.  “And what might that be?”

“Snowstar sent a message for me through Hollypaw, the ShadowClan medicine cat apprentice.  I am to go the to Moonpool with her and two other apprentices because Snowstar has a quest for us.”

Mistyfoot laughed.  “Really? What other apprentices are you going with?”

“Heatherpaw of WindClan and Jaypaw of ThunderClan,” Lionpaw replied.

“I know you’re desperate to visit the Moonpool, Lionpaw, but you can’t just make up stories and run off there because you want to.”

“I’m not making this up!” Lionpaw protested.

“Then why didn’t Snowstar tell Mothwing or Willowpaw?” Mistyfoot challenged him.

“Because I chose Lionpaw, not Willowpaw.”  Mistyfoot’s eyes grew wide, and Lionpaw turned around to see Snowstar stepping towards them.  She looked transparent now that she wasn’t in StarClan, and it was obvious how the stars sparkled in her black and white fur.

“You’re Snowstar!” Mistyfoot gasped.  

“Yes.  You must let Lionpaw go to the Moonpool.  He is a part of something big, and the fate of the Clans rests in his paws.  Do not worry. I will make sure that he returns safely to RiverClan,” Snowstar added.  Mistyfoot still looked shocked. A moment later, she dipped her head to Snowstar.

“Very well.  Lionpaw, I will let Leopardstar and Mintfur know when we return to camp.  I wish you the best.”

“Thank you, Mistyfoot,” Lionpaw mewed.  Mistyfoot nodded, and slunk back towards the leaders.    Lionpaw turned to look at Snowstar, who was already fading.  

“Go to the Moonpool, Lionpaw.  It is time.”

* * *

“Are we there yet?” Jaypaw complained.  His pads were starting to ache from the long walk, and he could tell that they were starting to bleed.

“Almost,” Hollypaw promised.  

“How can you be sure?  This is WindClan’s territory, not ShadowClan’s!” Jaypaw pointed out.

“We’re almost at the camp,” Heatherpaw interrupted from where she was leading the group.

“Where are all of the cats?” Lionpaw asked as they approached.  He knew that WindClan was not one to let random cats on their territory, and he had heard rumors of the cats being able to spot intruders easily.

“Most of them are at the Gathering, and the rest are asleep.  We usually don’t hold guards on Gathering nights, so we should be able to just sneak by if you all are quiet,” Heatherpaw mewed.  Hollypaw nodded, and she led Jaypaw after Heatherpaw and Lionpaw. The WindClan camp was silent, and the cats got past it without any trouble.  Heatherpaw continued to lead the apprentices through the moor, and soon Jaypaw scented the ThunderClan border.

“I can take it from here,” Hollypaw mewed.  She led them all up the ThunderClan border, and, as the sun began to rise in the sky, the cats stepped into StarClan’s territory.  Lionpaw was speechless. The Moonpool was beautiful, even if he wasn’t looking at it in the nighttime. Heatherpaw appeared equally stunned, and even Jaypaw was quiet for once.  “Now we must wait for night to fall,” Hollypaw mewed.

“I’ll go see if I can find any rabbits on WindClan territory,” Heatherpaw mewed.  She trotted back into her Clan’s home.

“I’m taking a nap,” Jaypaw muttered.  Hollypaw led him to a patch of moss, and he curled up in it.

“What should we do while Heatherpaw hunts and Jaypaw naps?” Lionpaw asked.

“We can just rest here,” Hollypaw suggested.  The two apprentices curled up next to Jaypaw.

* * *

“Wake up!  It’s time to speak with StarClan!” Hollypaw whispered, poking Jaypaw.  He grumbled, but sat up and shook the moss off of his fur. Heatherpaw sleepily climbed out of the moss too.  Her breath still smelled of the rabbits she had caught earlier for the apprentices to eat. Lionpaw walked over to the cats from where he was standing guard.  

“What do we do, Hollypaw?”

“You must drink some of the water from the Moonpool.  Then StarClan will come and speak to you.”

Lionpaw nodded and walked over to the Moonpool.  He took a sip, wincing at the icy taste. Suddenly, darkness overtook him, and he collapsed onto the ground.


	14. Chapter 14

~Heatherpaw~

Heatherpaw opened her eyes to see Feathertail standing in front of her.  She climbed to her feet, noticing that they appeared to be standing in the WindClan moors.  “Greetings, Heatherpaw. Welcome to StarClan.”

“Thanks,” Heatherpaw mewed.  

“There is something I must tell you before we meet up with the other four apprentices.”

“What is it?” Heatherpaw asked.

“Follow me,” Feathertail mewed.  She beckoned Heatherpaw, and the two she-cats trotted through StarClan’s territory.  Finally, Feathertail stopped by an old oak tree and climbed down towards it. “This is where you were born, Heatherpaw.”  Heatherpaw froze. The tree was on ThunderClan territory. “It is not my place to tell you who your parents are, but there is something you must know about your family.  Watch. This is what happened on the day that you were born. I cannot show you any cats in particular, but you can hear what they said.” Heatherpaw sat down beside Feathertail and watched as a silhouette came into form.  She could not tell who it was, but she knew it was her mother. The she-cat lay deep inside the oak tree, panting. The wails of kits came from three lumps beside her belly, and she licked them comfortingly. Heatherpaw watched in amazement as a tom barreled into the oak tree.  

“Are these our kits?” he asked.

“Our kits?  Yeah, right.  They’re MY kits.  YOU left me to raise them all by myself,” the she-cat spat.

“I did no such thing.  I told you that I would run away with you so we could raise these kits together.  I even offered to take them back to my Clan! But you refused to listen. So it is not my fault.”

“What are you even doing here?” the she-cat growled.

“I came to take one back with me.  You obviously don’t want to raise these kits, so I thought it would be easier if I took one.  We have a nursing queen right now, too, so feeding the kit wouldn’t be a problem.”

“No, you’re not taking a kit!  I already have plans on what to do with them.  Squirrelflight is going to take one, and Tawnypelt from ShadowClan volunteered to do so as well since she lost her last litter.”

“You can’t raise a kit,” the tom mewed frankly.  “And are you going to send it with Squirrelflight or Tawnypelt?  I seriously doubt that either of them have the milk to feed one anyways.”

The she-cat let out a huff, and slumped down into her moss.  “Fine!”

“What are their names?” the tom asked.

“I haven’t named them.  I’m sure that you’ll want to name the one you’ll be taking,” the she-cat mewed.

“Here, let’s name them together,” the tom said.  “This black one is as dark as holly bark. Is it a tom or she-cat?”

“She-cat.”

“How about Hollykit?”

“Fine,” the she-cat hissed.  “I want to name this gray one Jaykit.  He’s the only tom, and I’ve always loved the name.”

“Sure.  What about this last she-cat?”

“I don’t care.  Just pick something.”  The kit let out a pitiful wail, and the she-cat smacked it with her tail to hush it.

“I want to take her back to my Clan,” the tom suddenly said.  “I’ll name her on the way there.”

The she-cat stared at him, her tail thrashing.  “Just go, then. And if you see Tawnypelt, tell her that she can have Hollykit.  Jaykit’s going back to ThunderClan with me and Squirrelflight.”

The tom picked up the kit, and gently carried her out of the oak tree.  “How about I name you Heatherkit? If you’re going to live in WindClan, then I think you should have a WindClan name.”  The kit mewled in response, and the tom snuggled her into his fur. “Come on, Heatherkit. You have a Clan to meet.”

Heatherpaw stared at the scene in shock as the tom--her father--carried Heatherkit towards the WindClan border.

“So...Hollypaw and Jaypaw are my siblings?” she gasped.  Feathertail led Heatherpaw away from the tree and back up into StarClan.

“Yes.”

“And we’re all half WindClan half ThunderClan?”

“Yes.”  Heatherpaw was reeling from what she had just seen.

“Who are our parents?” she squawked.

“It is not my place to tell you that.  However, your father lives with you in WindClan.  He will tell you who he is when the time is right.  And now, we must meet with the other apprentices.” Heatherpaw blinked, and suddenly she was standing in the StarClan version of the island with Jaypaw, Hollypaw, Lionpaw, and Ivypaw.  Snowstar leapt down from where she was standing on the Great Rock.

“Greetings, apprentices.  Thank you for coming to the Moonpool tonight.  And Ivypaw, thank you for coming to the Skyrock.”  Ivypaw dipped her head, and Snowstar continued speaking.  “It is time for you to learn more about your abilities. Each of you represent a different quality that makes a warrior strong.  These include bravery, selflessness, kindness, wisdom, and resourcefulness.”

“Which one am I?” Hollypaw called.

“That is for you to discover on your quest,” Snowstar purred.  

“What is our quest?  What are we doing?” Ivypaw asked.

“Unfortunately, Ivypaw, this quest doesn’t really apply to you as much,” Snowstar said.  Ivypaw’s shoulders slumped.

“Lionpaw, Heatherpaw, Hollypaw, and Jaypaw will be actually going on this quest.  The time has come for SkyClan to return and become the 5th Clan. You four must go and bring SkyClan back to the lake.  Ivypaw, don’t worry. You have a role in this as well. You must speak to Leafstar and prepare your Clan to leave.”

“I can do that!” Ivypaw mewed.

“When should we leave?  And how will we know where we’re going?” Lionpaw asked.

“You must go west, towards the mountains.  There are cats in your Clans who will be able to give you directions.  Tawnypelt from ShadowClan, Crowfeather from WindClan, and Brambleclaw from ThunderClan would be good cats to ask.  They have all traveled over the mountains multiple times.”

“Has anyone from RiverClan ever crossed the mountains?” Lionpaw asked, confused.

“Yes.  One was Feathertail, who is obviously in StarClan now, and the other, Stormfur, now lives in ThunderClan.”  

Lionpaw sat back on his haunches.  That was quite strange.

“You must leave as soon as you can.  I would suggest meeting at the island in two sunrises’ time to begin your quest.  And Ivypaw, you must begin preparing your Clan to leave the gorge quickly. You don’t have a lot of time to waste.”  Ivypaw nodded again.

“Good luck, apprentices.  StarClan will light your paths.  Do not rest until SkyClan once again becomes the 5th Clan.”


	15. Chapter 15

~Hollypaw~

 

“Littlecloud!  I have to talk to you!” Hollypaw yowled, barreling into the ShadowClan camp.  She had just departed from Heatherpaw, Lionpaw, and Jaypaw, and she knew that she needed to talk to the medicine cat right away.  Littlecloud poked his head out of the medicine cat den, startled.

“Hollypaw?  What’s the matter?”

“StarClan sent me a quest!” Hollypaw panted.  

“You should probably come inside,” Littlecloud mewed.  

“Or you should come with me.”  Hollypaw turned around to see Blackstar.

“Hi, Blackstar,” she squeaked.

“Littlecloud, Hollypaw, come to my den with me.  I would very much like to know about Hollypaw’s quest.”

“Okay,” Hollypaw mewed.  She followed Littlecloud and Blackstar into the leader’s den and took a seat.  Blackstar’s den was at the foot of a tree that Blackstar often climbed to give announcements.  It wasn’t very roomy, so Hollypaw found herself squished next to Littlecloud. Blackstar sat down in his nest facing the two medicine cats.  

“Tell me about this quest, Hollypaw.”

Hollypaw explained to Blackstar and Littlecloud how Snowstar had summoned her, Heatherpaw, Lionpaw, and Jaypaw to go and find SkyClan.  Surprisingly enough, the two cats didn’t seem completely shocked by this. 

“It would not be the first time that only certain cats were called to go on a quest,” Blackstar commented.  “In fact, this whole situation reminds me of the journey to the lake. Hollypaw, I give you my blessing in going on this quest.  Just answer one question. Who is SkyClan?”

* * *

~Ivypaw~

Ivypaw ran down the slick cliffs of the gorge towards Leafstar’s den.  She knew that she had to find the leader right away. It would take some time for SkyClan to prepare to depart their home, and she wanted to give them as much time as possible.  Ivypaw had just made it to Leafstar’s den, and she was about to step inside when she heard cats behind her. She turned around and stared in shock as Patchfoot, Snookpaw, and Sparrowpelt ran into the camp with Rockshade’s limp body resting on top of them.  Clovertail frantically ran over to Ivypaw. “What happened?” she mewed. “Ivypaw? Do you know what’s going on?”

“No,” Ivypaw whispered.  Rockshade was her brother from a different litter, and she felt a heavy pit of dread settle in her stomach.  A skittering of stones caught Ivypaw’s attention, and she watched as Frecklepaw slid down towards the cats.

“Where’s Echosong?” Clovertail demanded.

“She’s collecting herbs in twoleg place.  I don’t know when she’ll be back,” Frecklepaw replied.  She ran over to Patchfoot and Sparrowpelt, who had just gently laid Rockshade on the ground.  “What happened?” she mewed.

“We were hunting near the gully, and out of nowhere, a dog appeared!  Rockshade attacked it before it could get to Snookpaw, and he managed to distract it long enough for us to get Snookpaw up a tree, but when we went back to get Rockshade, the dog was gone and Rockshade was like this!” Sparrowpelt said in a rush.  

“My brave kit,” Clovertail whispered.  Ivypaw pressed up against her mother’s fur to try and  comfort her, but it seemed that Clovertail was beyond the point of comforting.

Meanwhile, Frecklepaw was bent over Rockshade, listening to his breathing.  “He’s in shock,” she announced. “I’m not entirely sure what’s wrong with him, but I will find out.”

“Thank you, Frecklepaw,” Leafstar purred from behind Ivypaw.  She leapt onto the rockpile. “Let all cats gather for a Clan meeting!” she called.  Ivypaw sat down in front of the rockpile and watched as her clan joined--other than Frecklepaw, who was still working on Rockshade behind them.  “It pains me to say that one of the cats in our Clan was attacked.”

“By what?” Cherrytail called.

“A dog,” Sparrowpelt replied.  

“We’ve never had trouble with dogs before,” Clovertail whispered.

“This is the third dog attack this season,” Leafstar said.  “We have never had this many attacks all at once before. If anyone has suggestions on what we should do, please share.  I don’t know what would be best for the Clan right now.”

Ivypaw gulped, and then stood up.  She heard Clovertail gasp, and ignored her.  “I know what we should do, Leafstar,” she mewed.  The Clan murmured amongst themselves. It was not typical for apprentices to give their Clan leaders advise.

“And what is that?” Leafstar asked.  Her tone was not quite as friendly as it had been a few moments ago.

_ Snowstar, please tell me if this is the wrong choice _ , Ivypaw thought.  She waited for a moment, and StarClan didn’t send her any signs, so she decided to keep going.  “Last night, Snowstar and some other StarClan cats came and walked in my dreams. They told me that the time has come for SkyClan to leave the gorge.”

Leafstar dipped her head.  “I have been waiting for this day ever since you and Echosong were given the original dream.  However, I could never have imagined that it would be coming so soon.”

“You can’t be serious!  SkyClan can’t leave the gorge!” Sharpclaw yowled.

“We must,” Leafstar mewed.  “Think about it. The dog attacks will just keep getting worse if we stay here.  Plus, StarClan told us to leave. They know best.”

“Where will we even go?” Cherrytail called.

“The lake.  There are four other Clans there, and we must join them,” Ivypaw meowed.  For the first time, every cat was silent. “StarClan is sending four other cats to lead us to our new home.  We must prepare to join them.”

“Ivypaw is right,” Leafstar added.  “We will begin making preparations tomorrow.”  She leapt off of the rockpile and strode back into her den.  Ivypaw walked over to Frecklepaw and Rockshade, who was still unconscious.  

“Is Rockshade going to be okay?” Ivypaw mewed anxiously to Frecklepaw.

“Yes.  It just looks like he hit his head very hard, and I think he broke a couple of ribs.  He just needs rest.”

“Thank StarClan,” Ivypaw breathed.  “When will he wake up?”

“Soon, hopefully,” Frecklepaw said.  “Once Echosong gets back, we’ll know for sure.”

“Will he be able to journey to the lake?”   
“I don’t know, Ivypaw.  I’m not sure that our whole Clan will be able to make it.  Tangle and Lichenfur are really too old to make such a trip, and now Rockshade is injured, and then there’s the daylight warriors... ” 

“But we all must go to the lake!  That is StarClan’s will!” Ivypaw yowled.   
“SkyClan cats don’t walk with StarClan!  Only you, me, Echosong, and Leafstar do. Remember?  They left us long ago.” Frecklepaw reminded her.   
“What about the dogs?” Ivypaw cried.

“Look, Ivypaw, I completely agree with you that I want the whole Clan to be able to leave.  I don’t want to try and figure out what to do about cats like Rockshade. I just don’t know what to do.”

“Okay,” Ivypaw said sadly.  “I understand, Frecklepaw. But you’ll try, right?”

“Try what?”

“To get all of the cats out of here.”

Frecklepaw sighed.  “Yes, I’ll try.”


End file.
